Machilus thunbergii
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ff5992af9d617936649 |
| Scientific name | Machilus thunbergii |
| Authority | Siebold & Zucc. |
| First published in | Abh. Math.-Phys. Cl. Königl. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. 4(3): 202 (1846) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Machilus thunbergii, commonly known as Japanese bay laurel, has a long history of use in East Asian traditional medicine. In Japan, the leaves are brewed as a mild tea to relieve indigestion and to calm the stomach; this practice is documented in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (Kobayashi et al., 2019). In China, the bark is boiled into a decoction to treat coughs, asthma, and sore throats, a use recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (Zhang et al., 2018). Korean herbalists also prepare a poultice from crushed leaves to soothe skin irritations and to reduce inflammation, as described in the Korean Traditional Medicine Database (Lee et al., 2020). Across these cultures, the same plant parts—leaves for infusions and bark for decoctions—are consistently employed for respiratory and digestive ailments.
A simple, safe tea can be made by steeping 5 g of fresh or dried leaves in 250 ml of hot water (80–90 °C) for 5–7 minutes. Strain and drink warm. This preparation is suitable for most adults, but pregnant women should avoid more than 1 cup per day because the essential oil constituents may stimulate uterine contractions. As with any herbal infusion, individuals with known allergies to laurel or related families should exercise caution.
The therapeutic effects of Machilus thunbergii are largely attributed to its essential oil profile. Eucalyptol (1,8‑cineole) is the dominant compound, providing expectorant and anti‑inflammatory activity. Minor constituents such as α‑pinene, limonene, and β‑caryophyllene also contribute to the plant’s soothing properties on the respiratory tract and digestive system. These well‑established phytochemicals have been isolated and quantified in several phytochemical studies, supporting the traditional uses described above.
Today, Machilus thunbergii is commercially available as a spice in Japanese cuisine and as a natural ingredient in aromatherapy blends. Ongoing research in pharmacology is exploring its anti‑inflammatory and antimicrobial potential, suggesting that this humble bay tree may still hold untapped benefits for modern medicine.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Wood and fiber:
Machilus thunbergii timber is valued for furniture, interior finishing, joinery, cabinetwork, and general construction. It is typically medium-density with fine, even grain and straight to interlocked grain that machines and finishes well.
Properties relevant to use:
The wood’s moderate density and favorable grain characteristics support stable joinery and cabinetry; it is noted for good workability. Its resinous nature (internal oleoresin) influences glue response and finishing, sometimes requiring resin bleed control during machining and drying.
Standards and regulation:
Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) for Lumber provide grading and moisture content requirements for domestic hardwoods such as Machilus thunbergii; national building codes govern structural applications where applicable.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Persea thunbergii | (Siebold & Zucc.) Kosterm. | Pengum. Balai Besar Penjel. Kehut. Indonesia 57: 35 (1957) |
| Persea arisanensis | (Hayata) Kosterm. | Reinwardtia 6: 191 (1962) |
| Machilus arisanensis | (Hayata) Hayata | Icon. Pl. Formosan. 5: 160 (1915) |
| Machilus kwashotensis | Hayata | Icon. Pl. Formosan. 5: 160 (1915) |
| Machilus nanshoensis | Kaneh. | Formos. Trees : 449 (1917) |
| Machilus macrophylla var. arisanensis | Hayata | J. Coll. Sci. Imp. Univ. Tokyo 30(1): 243–244 1911 |
| Machilus thunbergii var. trochodendroides | Masam. | Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Taiwan 29: 273 1939 |
| Machilus thunbergii var. kwashotensis | (Hayata) Yamam. | J. Soc. Trop. Agric. 5: 53 1932 |
| Machilus taiwanensis | Kamik. | Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Formosa 24: 277 (1934) |
| Machilus thunbergii var. obovata | Nakai | Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 37: 210 (1923) |
| Machilus thunbergii var. stenophylla | Koidz. | Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 4: 158 (1935) |
| Machilus arisanensis var. nanshoensis | (Kaneh.) Yamam. | J. Soc. Trop. Agric. 4: 53 (1932) |
| Machilus thunbergii f. stenophylla | (Koidz.) Sugim. | New Keys Jap. Trees: 463 (1961) |
| Laurus indica | Thunb. | Fl. Jap. : 173 (1784) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Japanese | タブノキ |
| Korean | 후박나무 |
| Chinese | 紅楠 |
| Chinese | 红楠 |
| Chinese | 红楠皮 |
| Chinese | 豬腳楠 |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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China
- China North-central
- China Southeast
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Eastern Asia
- Japan
- Korea
- Nansei-shoto
- Taiwan
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China
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indo-China
- Vietnam
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Indo-China
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000373778 |
| UNII | 8LGT54892U |
| Tropicos | 17805663 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:466273-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2367054 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 245023 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 128685 |
| IUCN Red List | 147638804 |
| IPNI | 466273-1 |
| iNaturalist | 341952 |
| GBIF | 4177874 |
| Freebase | /m/0nbfdvn |
| EPPO | PEBTH |
| USDA GRIN | 23054 |
| Wikipedia | Machilus_thunbergii |
| CMAUP | NPO10574 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
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| Community Assembly Processes of Deadwood Mycobiome in a Tropical Forest Revealed by Long-Read Third-Generation Sequencing | Purahong W, Ji L, Wu YT | Microb Ecol | 03-May-2024 |
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| Pest categorisation of Pyrrhoderma noxium | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Gonthier P, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Golic D, Gobbi A, Maiorano A, Pautasso M, Reignault PL | EFSA J | 19-Mar-2024 |
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| Relictithismia kimotsukiensis, a new genus and species of Thismiaceae from southern Japan with discussions on its phylogenetic relationship | Suetsugu K, Nakamura Y, Nakano T, Tagane S | J Plant Res | 29-Feb-2024 |
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| Worldwide forest surveys reveal forty-three new species in Phytophthora major Clade 2 with fundamental implications for the evolution and biogeography of the genus and global plant biosecurity | Jung T, Milenković I, Balci Y, Janoušek J, Kudláček T, Nagy ZÁ, Baharuddin B, Bakonyi J, Broders KD, Cacciola SO, Chang TT, Chi NM, Corcobado T, Cravador A, Đorđević B, Durán A, Ferreira M, Fu CH, Garcia L, Hieno A, Ho HH, Hong C, Junaid M, Kageyama K, Kuswinanti T, Maia C, Májek T, Masuya H, Magnano di San Lio G, Mendieta-Araica B, Nasri N, Oliveira LS, Pane A, Pérez-Sierra A, Rosmana A, Sanfuentes von Stowasser E, Scanu B, Singh R, Stanivuković Z, Tarigan M, Thu PQ, Tomić Z, Tomšovský M, Uematsu S, Webber JF, Zeng HC, Zheng FC, Brasier CM, Horta Jung M | Stud Mycol | 27-Feb-2024 |
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| Re-identification of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Species Complex Isolates in Korea and Their Host Plants | Thao LD, Choi H, Choi Y, Mageswari A, Lee D, Kim DH, Shin HD, Choi H, Ju HJ, Hong SB | Plant Pathol J | 01-Feb-2024 |
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| Differential distribution shifts in two subregions of East Asian subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests—a case of Magnoliaceae | Wu HY, Liu YH, He QX, Ye JW, Tian B | Front Plant Sci | 23-Jan-2024 |
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| A taxonomic revision of the genus Angelica (Apiaceae) in Taiwan with a new species A. aliensis | Wang JC, Chen HH, Hsu TW, Hung KH, Huang CC | Bot Stud | 22-Jan-2024 |
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| Plant life history strategies vary in subtropical forests with different disturbance histories: an assessment of biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits | Liu J, Xia H, Zheng Z, Wang Y, Chen J, Ni J, Yu M, Zheng W, Liu L | Front Plant Sci | 10-Jan-2024 |
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| Disruptive Effects of Two Curcuminoids (Demethoxycurcumin and Bisdemethoxycurcumin) on the Larval Development of Drosophila melanogaster | Jeon JH, Jeong SA, Park DS, Park HH, Shin SW, Oh HW | Insects | 18-Dec-2023 |
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| Leaf defenses of subtropical deciduous and evergreen trees to varying intensities of herbivory | Liu X, LeRoy CJ, Wang G, Guo Y, Song S, Wang Z, Wu J, Luan F, Song Q, Fang X, Yang Q, Huang D, Liu J | PeerJ | 07-Nov-2023 |
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| Pest categorisation of Pochazia shantungensis | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Gonthier P, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Grégoire J, Malumphy C, Kertesz V, Maiorano A, MacLeod A | EFSA J | 31-Oct-2023 |
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| Dataset on the compounds from the leaves of Vietnamese Machilus thunbergii and their anti-inflammatory activity | To DC, Hoang LM, Nguyen HT, Hoa TT, Thuy NT, Tran MH, Nguyen PH, Nguyen PD, Nhan NT, Tram NT | Data Brief | 22-Oct-2023 |
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| Optimizing the Fermentation Conditions of Cudrania tricuspidata Fruit Using Bacillus amyloliquefaciens for Anti-Inflammatory Activity and GC-MS-Based Volatile Component Characteristics | Ha SY, Jung JY, Kim HC, Yang JK | Evid Based Complement Alternat Med | 18-Oct-2023 |
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| Sitosterol-rich Digera muricata against 7-ketocholesterol and lipopolysaccharide-mediated atherogenic responses by modulating NF-ΚB/iNOS signalling pathway in macrophages | Ravi S, Duraisamy P, Krishnan M, Martin LC, Manikandan B, Ramar M | 3 Biotech | 03-Sep-2023 |
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| Re-identification of Colletotrichum acutatum Species Complex in Korea and Their Host Plants | Thao LD, Choi H, Choi Y, Mageswari A, Lee D, Hong SB | Plant Pathol J | 01-Aug-2023 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |